Zack Cozart’s nightmare Angels season now includes injured list stint
The start of veteran infielder Zack Cozart’s career with the Angels was marred by a left shoulder injury that required surgery. The torn labrum ended his 2018 season in June, but the repair was supposed to put him back on track in time for the Angels to extract some value from the three-year, $38-million contract they signed Cozart to in December 2017.
That now is again called into question. Cozart, mired in a deep slump all season, was placed on the injured list Tuesday because of recurring inflammation in his left shoulder. He returned to Southern California to see a doctor and determine how long it might be before he can rejoin the active roster.
Cozart entered the season figuring to be a daily component of the Angels’ infield, but he did not hit well enough to keep an everyday job. Cozart, 33, hit .124 with a meager .322 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 38 games before this injury.
“It’s been bothering him here recently, especially on swings, not so much in the field,” manager Brad Ausmus said at the Oakland Coliseum. “When he swings and misses, [the shoulder] kind of grabs him.”
In Cozart’s place, the Angels added journeyman outfielder Cesar Puello to the 40-man roster and transferred Michael Hermosillo, who has been progressing in his recovery from offseason sports hernia surgery, to the 60-day injured list. In a separate move, they recalled right-hander Nick Tropeano from the minor leagues and shipped reliever Taylor Cole back to triple-A Salt Lake.
Upton wants to return quickly
Now that he’s traveling with the Angels, outfielder Justin Upton is finding it harder to stay patient as he rehabilitates his sprained left big toe.
“This is my first time on the IL for this long,” said Upton, who hurt his toe days before the season and missed most of spring training because of right knee tendinitis. “It’s been taxing mentally more than anything.”
He said he would like to be back in the Angels’ lineup in three weeks, but that would be an aggressive timeline for someone who hasn’t had the chance to test his toe by running in spikes yet.
Upton is still at least a few days away from being cleared to run the bases. Once that happens, he would eventually get the green light to face pitchers in batting practice and then in games.
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